Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor - Restarting March 14th 2023

[Amanda]

end of ch 61 (view spoiler)[
I knewe that earlier when the sea kept "calling to her" that she would kill herself in it when she found out Kora was dead and she no longer had a purpose.

Funny that Strange the Dreamer ended in a nightmare and Muse of Nightmares will end in a dream. Also, it seems like in the last book there was all fighting where in this one they find peace. I think a lot of this book was really about Minya. She certainly grew the most as a character in this book. She became less full of hate and anger and now is feeling the sadness beneath it. In book one I hated Minya and now I have grown to love her and realize that she is just a traumatized young girl and not just a hateful evil child. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

end of part 3 (view spoiler)[ wow, what a crazy turn of events that all was. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

end of the book.(view spoiler)[ So I went on reddit and discussed The End (or is it?) and the code. If you want to know about what the code is you can look at the links. you can read my discussion parts too and my thoughts, I'm devouringbooks23
https://www.reddit.com/r/YAlit/commen...

I don't know how to even write a review of this book right now. Like I loved it, but I have so much to say and I have no idea how to sum it all up! (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

30%: (view spoiler)[yeah, I really don't feel bad about Minya. Seems like karma is in play and I'm totally okay with that. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Part 4: (view spoiler)[ Poor Nova. I'm glad she got to finally speak to her sister again. But such a heartbreaking ending for them both. The Gods have really messed everyone up. I wonder what will happen to them all now. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ I like that it ended on hope. Part of me wishes we would get more because I want to meet the other children they find and hear their stories. But I think it was a very fitting ending for this one. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Jenn wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

SO JELLY! I'm only at 55% of the book!!

[Jenn]

Amanda wrote: "end of ch 61 "

I agree that this book was more about Minya and hope. It was sooo good! I love Taylor's words <3

[Alaina]

62%: (view spoiler)[oh shit.. things are heating up now. let's go kick some hunny buns! (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

88%: (view spoiler)[OKAY BUT I NEED LAZLO BACK NOW. POR FAVOR. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

100%: (view spoiler)[WOW such a good book! I'm kind of sad it's over. Just wondering if there might me another secret book or something - it'd be cool if there was ( just saying) Other than that, I'm glad that this was about Minya more because it was nice to get to see why the bitch was so crazy and mean. I sort of ended up liking her but she's not my favorite out of everyone. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

I'll be around at some point!

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[Needed that mini recap in the beginning. I read book 1 a while ago, so I kinda forgot the scenario. Minya is so evil honestly. I hated her in book 1 and I still hate her. Using family as a pawn in your personal agenda is never a nice thing lol Also ughhh at Sarai being a ghost. I hoped that it was fixable, but it is permanent. Ughhh my heart (hide spoiler)]
Chapters 1-6

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[The library to Weep being found is going to be very crucial at some point in this book I think. We will probably find out Weep's real name. The romance between Lazlo and Sarai is killing me. I wish they had had their real moments together. What is Sarai's limitation as a ghost? Can they kiss and do..other things..Is Lazlo going to bring Eril-Fane? Or is he just buying time to get Sarai's soul back? Ruby knocked out Minya, now what? (hide spoiler)]
End of part 1

[Amanda]

Jill wrote: "[spoilers removed]
Chapters 1-6"

(view spoiler)[ I HATED Minya in book one also! (hide spoiler)]

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[I'm kind of confused by the whole Skathis/Korako/Nova narrative. I'm assuming it's a flashback and a way to see where all the other godspawn babies are, but I'm not entirely sure. We are learning more interesting things about the Mesarthim: they're blue because of the mesarthium, the gods had their own language, they had a book that changes when Lazlo touches it. I think Lazlo will teach himself this language. The Lazlo and Sarai romance is stillll cute AF. I'm so glad Sarai still has her power in some way, otherwise she would've kinda been irrelevant. Minya's dream is twisted. She is so traumatized from the night of the Carnage, which is why she is holding on to so much anger and hate. Hopefully, now that Sarai saw this, they others will be able to help her and change her back to being good. (hide spoiler)]
Chapter 16-22

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[I think Minya killed the Ellens because they were actually mean and evil and hated godspawn like all the other humans. I think Minya kept them around to control them to spite them for all they did. I liked reading the story of Eril-Fane and Azareen. Their love story is so devastating. They never really got a chance to be together, and when Eril-Fane got taken away, it broke something in their relationship. Ughhhh kms. Of course Sarai wants to help Minya. Now the group can understand where Minya is coming from and fix her evilness. (hide spoiler)]
Chapters 23-28
End of Part 2

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[We get the story of Kova and Nova, and why Nova is on this quest to find her sister and her power. So she's like Rogue from Xmen, but not as lethal I guess. We finally get to see more of the palace and the orb in the center!!! There are so many more universes with godspawn they don't know about, including Earth! Haha!! There are definitely other godspawn in the world we're in with Lazlo, which explains how he got dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Nova lands in the palace and girl is on a mission!! I wonder how the battle between her and the others will end. Also, Eril-Fane and Azareen's death has me feeling some type of way. Their love story is so heartbreaking, I can't even. They never got the opportunity to be together. Ughhhh my heart (hide spoiler)]
Part 3

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[Wow, I loved this book!! The action scenes were truly page turning. I didn't know how they were going to get out of the amphitheatre, but Sparrow's gift FTW!! Eril-Fane really isn't a bad guy. And neither is Minya. Honestly, we needed to see Minya as this evil person to truly appreciate her motives and transformation. I'm so glad it was done this way. Thank God Sarai wasn't lost forever or else I would've quit reading lol When I read the Nova and Kora scene, I died a little inside. It was so beautiful and so raw. Everything ended so perfectly. Everyone ended happily together including Eril-Fane and Azareen!!!! My new favorite couple. Minya is healed, Lazlo and Sarai are still together, we find out Weep's real name, and it's all happily ever after. Gosh, I'm going to be recovering from this book for quite a while XD (hide spoiler)]
Part 4, 5, Final thoughts

[Dr. Andy]

Part 1 (view spoiler)[ Ugh I hate Minah, she's a little demon spawn. I am so glad Ruby drugged her. I wonder if her ghosts will disappear while she's unconscious. I can't wait to see what Calixte and Thyon discover at the library of Weep! Also Calixte's dirty jokes give me life. (hide spoiler)]

ALSO There was a HP reference and I loved it!!

[Dr. Andy]

Part 2 (view spoiler)[ So Minya might not be completely evil? And it looks like she killed the Ellens and their entire existence was a lie. Also is Minya fucking dead!?! I wonder what the significance of Kora and Nova's story will be. I feel like one of them is the bird called Wraith. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Part 3 (view spoiler)[ Okay seeing Nova, I'd much rather deal with Minya, she's a rational psychopath at least. Also I hate Nova, she needs to leave ugh. She's gonna fuck everything up! And I am so mad that Eril Fane and Azareen died :(((((( I AM NOT OKAY! (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Finished (view spoiler)[ I loved that Sarai was able to sort of save Nova. I just don't even know what to say I loved the ending but I wish there had been more. Also did I hear that Thyon has some sort of interest Ruza?? Cause that would be something I can ship. I wish there was a longer epilogue, I want to know if they found any of the other kids. I love that Eril Fane & Azareen were brought back and he proposed to her again. I was so damn happy when that happened. And I'm glad Minya isn't as evil as I thought (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

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Reading from the 7th of January 2019

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[Ryn]

Checking in! I'm doing this one audiobook and will comment soon.

[callie]

Super excited for this!! My copy just came in at my library and will be going to get it tomorrow! I cant wait!!

[callie]

Are we reading a certain amount each day or just however much we can?

[Ryn]

I'm having surgery at the end of the week on my ear, so I'm trying to listen to as much as I can before then.

[Ryn]

Part I

I adored Strange the Dreamer so I've been intently looking forward to this book. I am listening to the audio. I didn't have any trouble engaging with the book, but, while I loved Taylor's ability to wordsmith in the last book, this one feels a bit weighed down by description. EVERY thought in everyone's head, whole sections of the CD explaining in detail why Minya is doing the things she's doing and what all varied emotions and moments are making her do XYZ. Not that those things aren't important, but they feel excessive. I don't know if it's the audio or just the book, but it took almost the first two hours of it just to deal with Sarai's body. This would bother me less if time were passing in the book but we're still only midday of the SAME DAY by the time Minya (view spoiler)[ gets drugged. So while I'm enjoying the book, my analytical mind is slightly annoyed by this.

On to the actual story. I wondered when Lazlo OR Minya would figure out that she no longer had leverage over him once Sarai was let go. Even if he didn't kill her, if Sarai is gone, he can just leave her there. There's no reason for him to stay. The only real way I can see that she could hold power over him is by controlling Sarai, keeping them apart, hurting her or something like that.

Drugging her was a brilliant idea. I was hoping the potion would make her forget everything so that she'd be nullified permanently, but it appears to just be making her sleep.

I love the story of the two sisters at the beginning and am wondering when we will get back to it. Actually, I'm also rather interested in the library of Weep and would like to get back to Thyon and Calixte also. While the main story is interesting it's a bit boggy -- Taylor keeps hammering her thoughts (mainly Minya's motives and feelings) home over and over and over.

Looking forward to see where this goes, now that Minya is out of the way for a little while. (hide spoiler)]

[Ryn]

Part II

Almost certain that if I were reading it instead of listening that the description would be going a lot faster. I am so enjoying it, though it's certainly dark. Minya... who knew she was so complex? I've never liked her much but (view spoiler)[ I can't really help but feel terribly sorry for her, so trapped in such a horrific and traumatic event. She was, after all, only six when it happened. She doesn't really sleep when she has a choice, but based on her time in the heart of the citadel earlier in the book, she basically still relives it over and over. However, the shocker at the end of part II... well, that would also make sense. If the best parts of Minya are separated from her and animating the Ellens, no wonder she can't be reasonable. I always thought it was because she was constantly being bombarded with rage and despair from all the ghosts she was holding that made her act the way she does but maybe not.

I'm still hoping Lazlo will make Sarai a mesarthium body and find a way to put her soul in it so it will stay. (hide spoiler)]

[Ryn]

Part III

This story continues to be riveting, but I was so disappointed in (view spoiler)[ how Nova ended up. I loved that story and that Nova's gift was so terrible, and she ended up so consumed by Cora's loss was really quite sad. I was hoping Eril-Fayne would manage to live again but nope, I'm starting to think Taylor is going to give us a real tragedy here and I can't like it. Still waiting to see what will happen when Minya has the chance to talk with her childhood friend at all and hope that Nova will meet her end soon. Not that I want her to die, but she's straight up crazy and I don't know how they'd salvage her. Still hoping for a metal body for Sarai, lol (hide spoiler)]

[callie]

I really need to do an update on this, but in order to hide any spoliers I need to get it on my computer and I'm having difficulty finding the thread for this book on my computer so that's fun. I'm gonna do a little update with no spoliers since I cannot find it on my computer. I'm on part 3, chapter 29, page 251. I love this book. I love it so much. I understand what people say about descriptions but I love them. I honestly dont mund ot they take up the majority of the book I think they are amazing. I'm very intrigued with Minya's character, I really hope she finds some inner peace. There is so much more I want to say but they go into spoliers so I'm just going to stop here. Hopefully I can find the thread on the computer soon.

[Ryn]

Part IV

The description did bother me at first ... well, not bother, but I noted it and it definitely slowed the book a bit on audio. But by this part, I barely even notice. It was so very well done, with so, so many turns -- I really had no idea how things were going to end up and I was half convinced Taylor was going to pull some Shakespearean tragedy out on us and leave us all in mourning.

Minya - I do like how Minya was resolved, and I love, love, love that Suheyla is going with the crew at the end. I adore her and she's so right - they did need a grandmother, someone to spoil them a little and love on them a lot. When Minya lost her first tooth, I actually laughed out loud at the "A piece of my body just fell off!" line. The only thing I was disappointed in is that once she let all the ghosts go and started to reconcile herself, she basically faded into the background of the story. She'd been such a force for so long that I missed her imperious little self running things.

Nova - Nova's end was very sad, but I liked the way Cora and Sarai's talents played into each other to give Nova closure. It is, of course, sad that she made the final choice she did, but I can't really say I'm surprised. I'm glad they didn't have to kill her. I wish Cora could have survived in a more substantial form.

So no metal body for Sarai yet. Everyone had a fitting ending that worked and, while no sequel is needed, she's certainly left room open to return to the world if she wants to. The ending dragged just a little and pulled a Neverending Story on us. I kind of felt like Taylor couldn't quite find the words to wrap it up so she kept on writing, but that's a minor flaw.

Such a beautiful, nuanced story. Absolute winner.

[callie]

Found it on my computer!! Finally, okay. I'm on chapter 57 and am hoping to finish it today. There seems to be so little left but so much yet to happen I'm terrified to finish. (view spoiler)[Minya let go of all her ghosts (except Sarai) and I can't wait to see her character development after that. I'm really liking Thyon Nero's character development, just wish we saw a little more of it. I feel like something might happen with him and Ruza, I could be wrong, just getting those vibes and honestly I don't want it to. Just, no, please, no. I'm really happy Eril-Fane is alive along with Azareen, though I do think there need to be a loss at the end of the book. Characer deaths are painful but they add so much to a book. I hate myself for saying this but I kinda hope someone dies at the end (and stays dead, unlike Sarai). I really love all the characters but I really feel like a permanent death would really just top it off beautifully, painfully, but beautifully. I absolutely love hearing about Minya's backstory and everything about her. I"m kinda interested in Kora and Nova's story and I can't wait to find out what happens with Nova. I kinda picture Nova like Roan's mom Queen Nia and also a little bit of Echo in ways of her looks. I don't know what else to say... I love Lazlo, Minya is actually up there too I'm starting to like her a lot. I feel like I relate most to Sparrow, if i was one of them I would probably be Sparrow. Ruby is great, she just isn't my favorite, Sarai is a good character to but tbh sometimes when she is with Lazlo she gets on my nerves a tad. She just gets so mushy gushy and it's like she can't think anymore I can't explain it but yeah. Feral is probably my least favorite. Nothing wrong with him I just don't feel as much towards him as I do for the other characters. (hide spoiler)] I think that's about it. I'm hoping to finish this very soon!

[Ryn]

I'm looking forward to what you think of the ending. I actually liked the wrap pretty well, and I learned to like Minya too -- I was disappointed Taylor didn't do more with her after she let go of the ghosts. There are some nice scenes still with her.

[callie]

Okay, the ending. (view spoiler)[I thought it was a good ending, it was a nice conclusion and I'm happy with it. It didn't go above and beyond, like WOW THIS WAS SO AMAZING! It was just a nice conclusion to the story. I feel terrible but I honestly think a major character's death would have added that little something to make it absolutely amazing for me. For example, if Minya was forced to let go of Sarai and everyone had to cope with that, but they still went out to find the other godspawn even with that traumatic loss. I feel terrible because I love these characters but I do feel like that would have added a lot. I personally liked Nova's end, "liked" its the right word but I think it was a semi-happy end for her. She was able to get closure with Kora, forgive and let go of all of her hate, and then she went to be with her sister. I liked how it was done, I feel like it was a good ending for her. I do agree, I wish Laini Taylor did more with Minya. I do think the ending could have been better but it wasn't a terrible ending, definitely not the worst I've seen *cough* War Storm *cough* I think I liked Strange the Dreamer better, Muse of Nightmares was still amazing, but I do think I liked Strange the Dreamer better. (hide spoiler)]

[Ryn]

ahem... the other series is now, in my head, the Series that Must Not Be Named. I just finished that other book a week or so ago and seriously ... well, let's not get distracted here, it's all in my other BR. And my review lol.

I did like the way they finished Nova's line too. Liked, yes, may not be the right word but it fit well and worked for the character. It was a bit of a stretch that (view spoiler)[ all our MCs survived, especially with the whole thing with Eril-Fayne and his wife. Sure, I was happy but it did stretch the credulity a bit. You're probably right, it was a little pat, but I can't be super sorry about it. Although, you may also be right -- Strange was probably a bit stronger book than Muse. It was a worthwhile duology, one I might go back and read again at some point. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

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Date changed. Restarting September 1st 2019. Happy Reading ☺

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[Julianne]

Ive been waiting so long for this one

[Julianne]

I am absolutely in awe of her writing (as usual)

ch 3 (view spoiler)[ OH WOW I forgot how much I love to hate Minya! I just, this is all so heartbreaking and I don't exactly know where this story will go (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Hoping to start this either tonight or tomorrow. Sorry for the delay! 😭😭

[Natalie]

Chapter 1. (view spoiler)[Who are Kora and Nova? And who are they to this story? I’m intrigued... could definitely be a flashback of sorts to another time (or another place!) (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Chapter 4. (view spoiler)[Well that seemed suspiciously easy. Minya is apparently taking a step back from things and leaving Sarai free of control - at least for now - but what’s going to happen next? And when will we be seeing Eril-Fane and the others? (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[I’m with Lazlo as far as shock goes. I didn’t even THINK that he and Minya might share a father! :o (hide spoiler)]

[Julianne]

Ch 11 (view spoiler)[ so thyon is gay? That's what I got from that. And BOOKS (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Chapter 14. (view spoiler)[Well that was intense, SHIT. But still, good on Lazlo for refusing to break his promise to Sarai, and for inadvertently saving who knows how many people who had been left behind in Weep.

Of course this does mean that Minya is probably going to get even more nasty... (hide spoiler)]

[Julianne]

Ch 17 (view spoiler)[ ummm omg I'm screaming? They just drugged Minya and now I think that the Ellen's have been dead for so long that they have actually lost themselves . The only reason Sarai is okay is because she is newly dead (hide spoiler)]

[Julianne]

Ch 23 (view spoiler)[ if things don't add up in minyas memories. Does that mean minya killed the Ellen's to see if she could actually snatch up souls/ghosts?? (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Chapter 18. (view spoiler)[So many more questions than answers at this stage. I mean... Korako is the goddess of secrets? What does that MEAN? And what does that have to do with her astral ability? It must mean something! Why was Lazlo carried off? And what happened to the other children (or babies)? Is Lazlo just one of many, or was he special somehow? (hide spoiler)]

[Julianne]

Natalie wrote: "Chapter 18. [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ AS SOON as they said her full name was Korako I remembered it was the name of one of the goddesses but I couldn't remember which one. And I definitely think he was one of M A N Y. (hide spoiler)]